With only five days remaining until the start of the Eid-ul Azha holiday, 822 factories across the country are yet to pay their workers the wages for May.
According to labour laws, employers are obligated to pay wages of May by June 8. However, only 62 factories have managed to pay the 15-day salary for June, and 989 factories have provided festival allowances.
Recent data from the Industrial Police reveals that out of the total 9,915 operational factories, 9,093 have successfully paid wages for May.
Unfortunately, within the unpaid figure, 209 factories are involved in readymade garment manufacturing, and 32 are textile factories. Additionally, six factories within the Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and 575 other related factories have also failed to fulfil their obligation of paying May wages.
All the 90 jute mills, meanwhile, have already fulfilled their responsibility by paying May salaries.
The Industrial Police has cautioned that if employers fail to pay May wages and festival allowances before the Eid holiday, there is a potential for demonstrations to take place in several factories.
In response to these concerns, an Industrial Police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We are in constant communication with workers and owners. Due to low export earnings and a slump in business, some employers have encountered difficulties in meeting their wage obligations. The Industrial Police remain highly vigilant, and we are prepared to ensure the prevention of any undesirable situations.”
As per the government’s announcement, the Eid-ul Azha holiday officially begins on June 27. However, to mitigate issues related to traffic congestion and accidents, many factories will commence their vacation on June 26.
Recent Industrial Police data, up until June 21, indicates that 335 RMG factories, 59 textile factories, 161 EPZs, 5 jute mills, and 429 other factories have paid festival allowances.
On the other hand, only one RMG factory, four EPZ factories, eleven jute mills, and eleven other factories have paid the 15-day salary for June. Notably, none of the textile factories has provided advance salary payments.
